Coffee
by phoenix.tycho
Summary: Six A.M. is just a little too early and all Hiccup wants is a nice, warm, steamy cup of coffee. Is that so much to ask? [a modern college-inspired Hiccstrid oneshot]


**Coffee**

Six a.m. sharp and the otherwise silent room erupted with the sound of a blaring alarm. The loud announce was met with an equally loud groan from the bed. An arm flung haphazardly toward the nightstand to turn off the alarm, which ended with an unceremonious crash of the device being knocked to the ground.

"Not yet," a hoarse voice groaned.

"Yet," another whined back.

The soft light of the early morning was drifting in through the sheer curtains on the window, basking the room in a golden glow. An extra-long twin bed took up a little less than half of the space in the room. The only other furniture was the small desk for a laptop, a four-drawer dresser with two picture frames on the top, and the tiny hand-me-down loveseat shoved in the corner under the window.

The dorm room was so small it toed the line between cramped and cozy, but it was home for the time being.

"Why do we have to get up?" the first voice complained, "It's too early."

"I have class."

With eyes half-closed and pale blonde hair pulled into a loose braid, Astrid sat up and swung her bare legs off the edge of the bed. She stretched her arms above her head to yawn noisily and stretch.

"No," two arms reached out from the warmth of the sheets, stubbornly latching onto Astrid's waist to pull her closer, "Stay in bed."

"Can't," she yawned through the word as she pushed the hands away.

A head emerged from under the blankets, topped with a mop messy copper hair.

"But baby," Hiccup whined into Astrid's pillow as he wrapped the blankets tighter around himself.

Astrid rubbed her tired eyes as she walked across the room and into the small attached bathroom. Her dorm room was small and neat, but it wasn't exactly spotless. Their clothes from last night were scattered on the floor, and the clean laundry was folded on the loveseat, just waiting to be put in the drawers. (It rarely made it to the drawers, though). The bed seemed to only get made when her parents were coming to visit or on a Friday morning, when Astrid was in higher spirits for the weekend. The dark purple sheets seemed to darken the small space anyway. The rest of the room was done with white accents, in the girl's attempt to have some sort of style (though she never really cared much about style to begin with). The curtains were a sheer material to invite in the morning light, which was done on purpose, because the bright golden light of the sunrise was probably one of the only things that actually helped Astrid wake up in time for her early morning chemistry class.

Astrid turned on the faucet to splash some cool water on her face. She looked into the mirror for a second to examine her appearance. Big, blue eyes blinked back at her. No zits, no messy mascara, and, hey, isn't the messy braid look in right now anyway?

"Good enough," she mused out loud with a shrug before turning and walking out of the bathroom.

She rolled her eyes at boy under the covers.

"Hiccup? Get up and quiz me for the chemistry exam?" she asked. She walked the short steps across the room to fling herself on his side of the tiny bed.

"I quizzed you all night. Come _on_, Astrid, ten more minutes? It's freezing out there and it's nice and warm in here." Hiccup never lifted his face from the pillow as he spoke and curled his body against hers. Astrid sighed and stood to move to her dresser.

"Astrid…"

"You're useless."

"Thanks, babe," Hiccup snorted, "Love you, too."

Astrid stripped off Hiccup's oversized t-shirt she had slept in and cast if off to the bed. Hiccup snatched it up without looking, tucking it under his head and breathing in her scent.

"Mmmm," he sighed as he breathed out again.

"You're such a weirdo sometimes," Astrid pulled a black bra on before moving back to her bathroom.

"The shirt is warm, it smells like you, and it isn't mean to me," he muttered into the material, "It's like you only better".

Astrid emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, teeth brushed, in dark jeans and a 'Berk High Soccer Champs' hoodie that must have been a million years old.

"Please get out of my bed. I have to go to class. And if the dorm staff sees you…" Astrid's hands found a place on her hips, "they're going to put me on probation…again."

Hiccup sat up and threw the blankets to the side. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and pressed his palms against his eyes to force the remnants of sleepiness away. There was a soft 'clunk' as his prosthetic hit the floor, and Hiccup reached down subconsciously to rub the spot where his leg met metal.

"I'm tired," he whined as he reached for his discarded clothes on the floor with his other hand.

"I'll give you coffee money if you leave," Astrid bribed as she pulled on a pair of combat boots over her thick, wool socks.

Hiccup pulled his shirt over his head to look up at his girlfriend, more awake now than he was only a moment before.

"Really?"

She waved a five dollar bill at him with a smirk.

Hiccup rolled his eyes at Astrid as he stood up and pulled his jeans over his boxers.

"I'm just a space heater to you, aren't I?" he teased as he zipped and buckled.

Astrid pulled her backpack onto her shoulder and met him across the room as he was shrugging on a knit sweater.

"Of course not, Hiccup," She kissed his cheek and let her arms rest lightly on his shoulders, "Well, maybe you are".

Just as Hiccup's face was turning into a playful pout, Astrid pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"I love you, but I have class. And it's a required class, it's not my fault it was only offered at 7:30 in the morning."

Hiccup took the crumbled bill from her hand and tucked it in the front pocket of his jeans before pressing a deep kiss to Astrid's lips. She tasted like mint toothpaste.

They stayed like this for a few moments, wrapped up in each other and desperately wishing they didn't have to part. Hiccup's arms tightened around her middle and Astrid sighed deeper into the kiss.

When Hiccup pulled away, he chuckled. "You just wait until Monday, when I have my early class and _you_ have to get out of bed for no reason."

Astrid smiled and handed Hiccup his jacket that was hanging on the back of her desk chair.

"Out, you space heater you."

Hiccup picked up his backpack and lifted it into his shoulder, but he kept his other hand entwined with Astrid's.

"Hic, come on," she whined as she led the pair towards the door and yanked the dorm door open.

The door opened to reveal a short, stocky, dark haired boy, bundled up in his puffy winter jacket. His hand was raised, poised to knock on the door. He was smiling with a mouth that was almost slightly too large for his face.

"Well, hello there, Lovebirds," he greeted with a grin.

Astrid rolled her eyes, but gave the boy a smile in return. She playfully shoved a yawning Hiccup in Snotlout's direction.

"Take him, Snot, please," she nearly begged to their friend, "I have to stop by my lab partner's room. She lives down the hall and she's expecting me in like… twenty seconds."

Hiccup looked rather betrayed as he finally released his girlfriend's hand. The pair then said their goodbyes with a few kisses, with Snotlout hovering impatiently outside the door.

"Come _on_, Hiccup," Snotlout rolled his eyes after a minute, grabbing Hiccup's arm and dragging him away from Astrid. Hiccup and Astrid shared a final glace, before Astrid turned and jogged down the hallway away from them.

Snotlout didn't speak again until they were in the elevator, when he released Hiccup's arm to press the elevator button, "Yo, did you get some money?"

"Yes, mom," Hiccup said. He rolled his eyes as he pulled his arm away from Snotlout and straightened his jacket. Hiccup had met Snotlout years ago, when Snotlout's family moved to the Island of Berk and he joined Hiccup and Astrid's class at school. Some would say it could be hard to move in the middle of the school year, but Snotlout never had trouble. He was loud and friendly, bordering on obnoxious, but he seemed to make friends easily enough. He was the type of guy who was always ready for a fight, always ready for a beer, and always had a joke to crack, even if it was usually inappropriate or at someone else's expense.

Hiccup shifted his backpack on his shoulder so his weight didn't rest too much on his prosthetic when he walked, "So where are we going, that new coffee shop by the bar?"

"Are you kidding?" Snotlout exclaimed with a bark of laughter, "I can't afford that place! I'm broke as hell. We're going to that on campus spot that Ruffnut told me about. Apparently she goes there a lot."

"The one with the fireplace?"

"Yep," Snotlout nodded as he adjusted the beanie on his head to cover his ears a little better, "That would be it."

"I think that's where Astrid goes too," Hiccup mused as the duo walked through the dorm building lobby and out into the windy, November morning. Hiccup was met with a gust of cold air and he scowled, his mind wandering back to Astrid's warm bed. Their legs tangled together, her head resting on his shoulder as she slept. Her light snores as her chest rose and fell. Her soft skin that always seemed to smell like wildflowers. He sighed. How he missed it so.

Snotlout shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket, "Astrid knows that place?"

Hiccup nodded, "Yeah, she sometimes goes with Fishlegs after her Tuesday morning class, when she has that break between her classes."

"Hey, so you think this place is going to be full of chicks?" Snotlout winked and puffed out his chest as he walked.

"Eh, maybe," Hiccup said with a shrug, "But it really shouldn't matter to you, since you have – Hey, Ruff!"

A girl with long, dirty-blonde hair jogged over to the boys. She was a whole head shorter than Hiccup and a few inches taller than Snotlout, who was about five foot six. She had delicate, bony features and bright, wild eyes.

"Hey guys," Ruffnut greeted with a smile as she wrapped her long scarf around her neck. She giggled girlishly when Snotlout grinned and pulled her into a hug.

After she leaned in to give Snotlout a quick kiss on the check, she turned to Hiccup, "You two are up a bit early for just barely making it to class, don't you think?"

"Astrid chased him out," Snotlout teased as he draped an arm over Ruffnut's shoulders.

Hiccup glared.

"She did not chase me out," he defended as he kicked some leaves on the ground with his prosthetic, "She sent us to get coffee."

"Yeah, that too," Snotlout said with a shrug.

"Mmm, coffee sounds good right now," Ruffnut leaned against Snotlout, "Mind if I join you?"

"Of course not!" Snotlout exclaimed. He wrapped his other arm around Ruffnut and hugged her again, "But you have to buy for yourself, I'm afraid. Your boyfriend is broke."

"Surprise surprise," Hiccup muttered under his breath.

Ruffnut laughed, while Snotlout pretended to pout.

"So, where are you guys going?" Ruffnut asked as Snotlout released her, "That new place by the library?"

"Your boyfriend can't afford fancy coffee," Hiccup said. He grinned when Snotlout scowled at him over Ruffnut's shoulder.

"We're going to that other place you told me about," Snotlout told Ruffnut, "That one with the fireplace near the science buildings."

Ruffnut grinned, "Perfect, I was in the mood for one of their Mocha Chip Mochas."

_'Mocha-wha?'_ Snotlout mouthed over Ruffnut's shoulder to Hiccup, who shrugged in response.

Since neither one of them knew the exact location of the coffee shop, the boys let Ruffnut take lead. It turned out to be fairly close by, since Astrid's dorm was only a couple blocks away from the chemistry building. Their quick trip took slightly longer than it should have, however, since it involved two stops to chat with friends, a quick pause for Hiccup to adjust his prosthetic, and one where Snotlout used Hiccup and Ruffnut to shield himself from a history professor whom he owed a paper. Not before long, however, the trio reached the coffee shop.

"Ahh, nice and warm," Ruffnut sighed when they entered the shop, coming to a standstill in front of the doors as she soaked in the heat. Hiccup was thankful for the roaring fire in the fireplace that helped warm his body. Snotlout grabbed hold of Hiccup and Ruffnut's hands and dragged them to the counter, since he was impatient to get his coffee.

"Hi, how can I help you?" the barista at the counter asked when the group got to her. Her voice was bubbly and the smile on her face a little too bright for so early in the morning.

"Yeah, can I get a tall Mocha Chip Mocha?" Ruffnut grunted to the barista, "But with, like, tons of whip cream. Tons."

The girl nodded and picked up a cup. She scribbled the drink order on it and then passing it to the person behind her.

"How about you?" she asked as she her grin on Snotlout.

The stocky boy looked up at the menu a moment longer, "Give me a…grande Double Espresso Mocha Latte. With whipped cream. But, like the regular amount is cool."

"Hot or iced?" the barista asked.

Snotlout thought for a second, "Um, iced."

"Good choice," the girl said as she grabbed another cup and scribbling down the order.

Hiccup turned to give Snotlout a pointed look, "Iced? Seriously?" he waved his hand in the direction of the door they just came through, "It's like thirty degrees outside!"

"So?" Snotlout crossed his arms, "I don't want to burn my mouth."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and turned to look up at the coffee menu above his head. A thousand options on the menu and he didn't know what any of the different drinks meant.

The barista then turned her attention to Hiccup, "And for you?"

Hiccup looked at the girl for a moment, and then turned his stare at Snotlout.

"What?" Snotlout asked when he noticed Hiccup looking his way.

"What…was that?" Hiccup asked, "What did you even order?"

Snotlout shrugged, "I have no clue, I just picked something that sounded cool."

"Anything for you, sir?" the barista asked as a way of regaining Hiccup's attention.

"Uh, yeah," Hiccup said, "Can I just get a coffee. Black. No room for cream. You do that here, right?"

The barista's grin faltered ever so slightly.

"What size?"

"Uhh…"

"Tall," Ruffnut interjected.

Hiccup flashed her a thankful look as the barista nodded and wrote down the final drink order.

Money was exchanged and the group then moved aside to let the next person in line forward. They moved to wait at the end of the counter for their drinks, which didn't take long to show up.

Ruffnut all but pounced on her blended coffee when it arrived, happily slurping up some of the sugary treat. Beside her, Snotlout was busy using his tongue to try and free the whipped cream from under his drink's plastic lid.

"I can't believe you ordered that," Hiccup sighed and shook his head at his friend as he grabbed his own coffee. He wrapped his hands around it tightly for warmth as he and his friends started for the door.

"Why?" Snotlout asked, "What's wrong with my drink?"

"It's…frilly," Hiccup told him flatly as he took a short sip of his own coffee.

"Pffft," was Snotlout's response as he pried the lid off of his drink and tossed it into the trash as the little group made their way outside. He scooped up some of the whipped cream with his straw and stuck it in his mouth, "This drink is very manly. You're just jealous."

"But I'm not frilly," Hiccup snickered. Ruffnut snorted into her coffee. Snotlout gave her hurt look and she sighed before reaching over to give him a one-armed hug.

"Don't worry Snotlout, I don't think you're frilly," she comforted, "Little Hiccup is just jealous that he didn't think to order anything with whipped cream."

"I'm not jealous," Hiccup said with a huff, "I would rather have no coffee at all then drink whatever that thing is."

"Hey, look," Snotlout interrupted to point over Hiccup's shoulder.

Turning to look, Hiccup broke into a smile. Astrid was bounding down the brick walkway towards him, her book bag bouncing off her hip with every step.

"I'm so late," she panted as she stopped in front of her trio of friends, "Oh, perfect! You got coffee! Black?" she asked her boyfriend (as if it was possible he had ordered anything else, she knew him so well). She snatched the cup hungrily from Hiccup's hands, not waiting for his response. She already knew all he drank was black coffee. She took a quick drink while he nodded in confusion. She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder with the coffee cup still against her lips.

"Thanks, Hiccup," she said sweetly as she pressed a kiss to his lips and took off running again toward the chemistry building, "Love you!" She yelled over her shoulder back at him.

Hiccup watched her go. His now empty hand twitched.

"She just—...my! But! _Coffee_!" He gaped and turned his now distraught expression on his friends.

"Hey, hey, don't look at me; I'm not sharing," Snotlout laughed, "You called mine 'frilly'."

Hiccup's eyes shifted to Ruffnut discreetly. She stared back at him for a moment before erupting in laughter.

"Ha! Nice try."

"She kicked me out of bed, and then she stole my coffee." Hiccup's shoulders dropped and Ruffnut tried not to roll her eyes at his sour expression.

"It's like she has you trained or something," Snotlout snickered.

"Psh, no!" Hiccup muttered as he crossed his arms.

"You're so whipped," Snotlout teased.

"Are not!" Hiccup rebounded. He then glared as Snotlout flung a little glob of whipped cream at him, the stuff splattering across his nose.

"Well, _now_ you are," Snotlout teased walking ahead of Hiccup with Ruffnut in tow.

"I am not!" Hiccup wiped the whip cream from his face and followed after the pair," This is going to be all gross and sticky, by the way!"

"Play nice!" Ruffnut barked at the two boys, "Or I'm not taking either of you for coffee tomorrow!"

The two boys murmured half-hearted apologies, and then pulled faces at one another behind Ruffnut's back as they trailed after her.

Hiccup then proceeded to sulk, his expression only souring further when Snotlout patted him on the shoulder; and then, when he was sure Ruffnut wasn't looking, made a whip-cracking sound and gesture with his cream-covered straw.

With a scowl, Hiccup hissed a quick "am not," and snatched Snotlout's coffee out of his hand. Snotlout didn't even stop him. He was too busy laughing.

Hiccup brought the cup to his lips and took a sip of Snotlout's drink. It was cold, chocolaty, and far too sweet for Hiccup's taste, but hey, coffee is coffee.


End file.
